The Reformation
by SportsMetalWWEandPonyFan2578
Summary: Part 2 of "The Maddock Chronicles." Maddock is beginning to change his prejudiced look about unicorns. But can he win the trust of a certain Alicorn princess, and, for that matter, why is he having these feelings about her? Read, review, and enjoy!
1. A Matter of Trust

…Maddock sat down at the small desk that adorned his room of the Castle of Friendship. He didn't know where to begin, but he knew he had to accomplish this task if he ever wanted any hope of Twilight teaching him friendship. She said that he had to let true friendship into his heart in order to win over the ponies of Ponyville, and especially Starlight Glimmer.

Truth be told, he was embarrassed beyond measure that Twilight had to call him out like that after he insulted Starlight. _What a mess I'm in,_ he thought to himself. There was a humongous part of him that wanted to change. He wanted to stop the hatred that ruled supreme in his heart. He wanted to stop the prejudice he felt against unicorns.

But a small part of him still couldn't forgive the unicorn who had taken his parents away from him. _Twilight said that they weren't all like that…but how can I be sure?_ He put his head down and held it with his hooves. What he didn't realize was that the answer to his own question was staring him straight in the face every time he stepped outside his room. That answer was Twilight Sparkle.

In all of his anger and frustration at the day's events, he hadn't noticed any of Twilight's kindness, compassion, or loyalty. In fact, by relinquishing one of the punishments she had originally imposed on him, she had shown him an act of complete friendship. Had he noticed this, he could have let it in, but sadly, he didn't.

Now here he sat, bewildered but determined. He wanted to get this letter to Starlight done, to prove to Twilight that he could learn how to be a true friend. _Let's see…it has to sound nice._ He picked up a quill with his mouth and began to write.

"Dear Starlight Glimmer,

I'm sorry for everything I said…"

Suddenly, he stopped. _No, that doesn't sound right!_ He took a hoof and wiped away the ink and restarted.

"Dear Starlight Glimmer,

I'm sorry that I treated you the way I did this morning. My behavior was unacceptable, and I see that now. Twilight finally talked some sense into me. I see now that the way I have thought of unicorns has been…wrong. I've treated your kind of pony in the most despicable way, and I can only hope that something I do in the future will make up for it. It's not going to be an easy process, but then again, dealing with these kinds of things is never easy. I just wanted you to know that I will treat you much better in the future.

Maddock"

He finished and put down the quill. He read his letter and then reread it and then reread it again. 15 times over, he read and reread the letter, making small changes here and there as the need dictated. In a way, the letter reflected the change that was coursing its way through his very soul. The dark wall that had built itself around his heart suddenly exploded, leaving a path for true friendship to find its way in.

He found himself feeling warmer than he had ever felt. Sleeping on dark street corners, abandoned and alone, he had come to know only the cold as a constant companion. Now, being in this castle and having just come to terms with his ignorance and defeated it, the warmth welcomed him like an old friend. He felt absolutely joyous at this new sensation and he wanted to shout it to the entire world. _Now, if only Starlight will accept this,_ he thought with a sudden shiver. He wanted to learn this friendship thing from Twilight, but if Starlight wouldn't accept his apology, then what right did he have to learn anything from the Princess of Friendship?

He exited his room and sped down the hall to Twilight's quarters. At the door, he paused and knocked respectfully. Getting no response, he opened the door and cautiously peeked in. "Hello?" He asked tentatively, "is anypony there?"

"Well, I'm not a pony, but I am here," a voice responded. It was Spike, who looked out of Twilight's bathroom to see Maddock standing there. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, I'm looking for Twilight"

"She's gone back to the school for the rest of the day. She's got a mountain of papers to grade."

"Oh…" Maddock said, disappointed. He was hoping to get Twilight's approval before he delivered his letter to Starlight.

"Did you need her for something?" The dragon asked

"Yeah, I just…I just wanted her to look over my letter to Starlight before I give it to her."

The dragon walked over to Maddock and smiled at him. "You know you don't need some seal of approval before you deliver an apology letter, right?"

Maddock shook his head, "no, I…I guess I didn't know that."

"It's an apology. All you have to do is deliver it. It's not like Twilight's gonna grade you on this."

Maddock realized that Spike was absolutely right. Twilight wasn't hanging over his shoulder, constantly working surveillance to make sure he did as he was told. That took more than a little bit of trust, especially in somepony who had made her friend into a bit of a punching bag. He had outstayed his welcome, and he hadn't even been there but a few days. Yet, through all of this, Twilight still didn't hang over him. _But…she could just be busy with work,_ he said to himself as his heart sank. He really wanted to believe Twilight actually trusted him. But after the way he treated Starlight, he couldn't see it…


	2. Making Amends

Maddock found Starlight in the castle library, busily rearranging some books. "OK, that goes there, and that goes there," she said as she waved her horn around, magically transporting the books to their new locations. He was still somewhat nervous around magic, but he wasn't going to insult Starlight and blow this opportunity to impress Twilight.

He walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. "Starlight?" He said timidly. She turned around and saw him. Her face became frozen with fear and she backed up to the bookcase. "…Y-y-yes?" She stuttered. He opened his mouth to reply, but she began speaking rapidly and fearfully. "Maddock, I'm so, so sorry if I hurt you by asking you if I needed help. I know that you're your own pony, and you can do anything yourself, so I'm sorry if I did anything wrong!"

He smiled at her. "No, Starlight, you did nothing wrong. It was me. I'm the one who messed up. I'm the one who needs to apologize. So, here's the letter Twilight asked me to write you."

"Oh…thank you, Maddock," Starlight said as she used her magic to float the letter to her. She opened it and read it before grasping the surprised Earth pony in a hug. "This really means a lot to me," she said, "I know how difficult it can be to apologize after you've done something wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I enslaved an entire village and took all of their cutie marks and forced them all to be 'equal' to each other. Then, after Twilight and her friends stopped me, I tried to take away her friendships by manipulating the past through a time travel spell."

Maddock's mouth fell open. He had no idea that this seemingly sweet and kind pony could be capable of something so ruthless. "You did all that?" He asked incredulously. She nodded. "Yes, I did, and I'll forever be in debt to Twilight for showing me the way out of it. She gave me a second chance at being a true friend, and I will be forever grateful for that. I'm proud of the pony I've become, and it's all thanks to her. Now, I believe, she can do the same thing for you."

She put a hoof on his heart and smiled at him. He was still somewhat in shock. He had been sent to apologize to the pony that had enslaved an entire village? _Well,_ he thought, _I suppose hating an entire race of ponies because one of them did something wrong is just as bad as enslaving an entire village._

"Twilight told me what happened to your parents," she suddenly said. He looked up with a start. "She did?" He asked. Starlight nodded. "I wanted you to know that I understand how you're feeling. I lost my mother at a young age due to a cart accident with an Earth pony. But I don't blame every Earth pony in Equestria for it. It was just an accident, and they happen."

More of the hatred Maddock felt for unicorns melted away. It was as if his parents were standing in the room next to him, kindly and gently urging him to do away with his prejudice. There was a small part of him that didn't want to, but Starlight's friendly and understanding words were helping undo the spell that the pain of the past had unleashed upon him. The walls he had built against true friendship were crumbling.

"So…I have friends here?"

"You have one," she said, smiling, "and two, if you count Princess Twilight"

Once again, the warmth and happiness of his childhood spread throughout his entire being. This pony, that he had so selfishly and viciously insulted, was coming to him in friendship. "But how?" he asked in shock, "how could you possibly want to be friends with a brutal egotist like me?"

"Because that's what friendship is. The six elements of harmony: honesty, loyalty, kindness, laughter, generosity, and magic. Those six combine to form true friendship. But forgiveness and second chances are just as much a part of friendship as the main elements are."

"She's right," a voice said from the doorway. The two ponies turned to find Twilight standing there. A radiant smile painted the canvas of her face. Maddock felt as if his heart would melt at that smile. He thought he had never seen a more beautiful sight. Well, maybe except for the time he had snuck on board a zeppelin and caught a glimpse of the Northern Stars.

Twilight raced forward and threw her hooves around both ponies. "Well said, Starlight. You understand friendship on a truly high level. I'm proud to call you my guidance counselor and my friend." Then she turned to Maddock. A gleam shone in her purple eyes. "Maddock, that's what I've been wanting to see ever since you got here! This is friendship, and I feel like you have opened your heart to it."

"But all I did was write a letter of apology. For all you know, it could be insincere."

"But I know that it IS sincere, Maddock," Twilight said. "At first, you asked for my help. I was willing to give it, because that's what friends do, but then you took it a step further and said you would apologize on your own. I was so proud of you in that moment, because that showed that your hatred was falling away. Friendship was taking hold, and it kept taking hold. I know it was only one task, and yes, you still have a lot to learn about the true magic of friendship, but this was a huge step forward for you. I'm very pleased."

Maddock didn't say anything, but hugged Twilight in return. "I've been such a terrible pony," he said as tears came. Twilight smiled at him, "that's all in the past," she said, "now you can have a new life! Trust me, a life with friends is a whole heck of a lot better than a life without them. Also, you never, ever have to go back to sleeping on cold street corners in Canterlot."

Maddock looked at her and smiled. He felt warmer than he had felt in a long time. The prejudice that he used to hold was completely gone. He was ready to accept unicorns as fellow ponies. He was ready to learn the true value of friendship. Little did they all know it, but his change and the values he was slowly being taught would turn into something legendary…


	3. The Friendly Mr Maddock

Twilight was so impressed with Maddock's ability to see where he had made a mistake and compensate for it, that she relinquished him from having to attend Fluttershy's kindness class later that day. She showered him with praise and affirmation for his actions, a turn of events of which he was a little embarrassed. He never admitted it to the princess, because he loved receiving her compliments too much.

Also on that day, he received a surprise visitor. Rarity, the unicorn that he had treated so poorly, dropped by to bring him the gift she had made him. The jacket, which fit him perfectly, was made out of the finest materials that she had. It was warm and comfortable, and, since it was Rarity that made it, was both practical and stylish.

When he received the jacket, he threw his hooves around the surprised unicorn in a hug born out of gratuity. "Thank you," he said simply, "I treated you like absolute garbage and you still made this for me? I…I'm in complete shock."

"Wow," she said, "is this the same pony that insulted me in front of my store?"

"No, ma'am," he said, "I've turned over a new leaf, thanks to Princess Twilight, and I'm never going back."

She gave Twilight an incredulous look. "Twilight," she said, "how…how did you manage to change him so quickly?"

"I didn't change him," she said, "he changed himself. He's begun to let true friendship break through the walls in his heart, and I couldn't be prouder." She then proceeded to tell Rarity the entire story and how Maddock had apologized to Starlight. "Wow," Rarity said when she was finished, "apologizing to a unicorn? That's a huge step for someone like you. I must say, I'm impressed."

She smiled at him and once again, Maddock felt the warm feeling cascade through his heart. It was as if these ponies were different from the ones he had seen back in Canterlot. These ponies seemed to truly care about him and where he was going in life. They didn't mind that he had been homeless, or that he had once held a prejudice for an entirely different race of ponies. They were his friends, and he knew it. For the first time since he was a foal, he had other ponies that he could count on.

The next few months were a complete source of bliss for him. He thought he had never been happier in his life. Sure, he would make a mistake every now and then, but the lessons he learned from them caused his heart to truly and completely change. Gone was the pony that had made fun of unicorns at best and completely insulted them and compared them to the most evil of creatures at worst. Gone was the pony that had made life miserable for every pony he came across.

In his place was a kinder stallion, who became a beloved citizen of Ponyville. In his spare time, he would go to the Ponyville school and help with janitorial work. The students loved him, and he became known as "The Friendly Mr. Maddock." In return, he was allowed to teach the students some of what he had been learning about friendship.

He also helped around at Twilight's school, doing some of the same work. Once again, he endeared himself to the students and once again the nickname "The Friendly Mr. Maddock" followed him there. Little did he know it, but Twilight was mulling over whether or not to hire him on as a full time teacher when he finished his tutorship with her. It was a difficult decision, but one that she felt had to be made.

One day, she called him into her office. When he arrived, he noticed that all of her friends and fellow teachers were there. Starlight closed the door behind him. "You, um, wanted to see me, Twilight?" He said after a moment of awkward silence.

Twilight regarded him with a serious look, so serious that he wondered whether or not he had done something wrong. "Maddock, I have something to tell you," Twilight began before breaking into a smile. The smile was accompanied by seven others, as Starlight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Spike all beamed. "You have been an outstanding student of mine," Twilight continued, "you've passed all of my tests and you've proven yourself to be a friend to all. I am very proud of you."

At this point, tears played with the corners of her eyes and she walked around her desk to face Maddock. She grasped him in a hug, which was quickly followed by hugs from everyone in the room. Spike brought forward a graduation cap and a diploma. "On this day, in front of these witnesses, I, Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship and Head Mare of the School of Friendship, do hereby declare Maddock officially a graduate of my school!"

Cheers filled the room as Maddock let a few tears of his own fall down his cheeks. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Twilight. "Thank you so much, Princess!" He said, "this is the greatest day of my life!" He was immediately surrounded by all of his new friends, who excitedly wished him well in his new life.

But the one that he was most excited to see was Twilight. She was beaming from ear to ear and she couldn't stop smiling as more tears fell. "Twilight," he said concerned, "why the hay are you crying"

"These are happy tears," she sniffed, "because I've seen you plant seeds of friendship all over this community, and I have watched with pride as those seeds have grown into full on trees of friendship. You make a difference in Ponyville, and that's why I'm crying. Now, come here!"

She hugged him once again and whispered in his ear, "I am so very happy for you. You've completely changed and I am proud to call you one of my best friends." She backed away from him. "Now, I have a surprise for you."

"What's that?"

"I want you on staff here at the School of Friendship," she said as she smiled again, "The Friendly Mr. Maddock is gonna need a job, and I'd be happy to offer him one. He truly deserves it."

His mouth fell open. "You mean…you want me to teach?"

She nodded excitedly and he turned away suddenly to hide the blush that was forming on his face. He had fallen for Twilight some time ago, and he was making every effort to impress her. It was somewhat inadvertent, then, that a lot of his efforts to impress her had led to him meeting other ponies and forming solid friendships of his own. He thought her small nod was one of the cutest things she had ever done.

He turned back to her and said, "I'd be honored to." More cheers filled the room as the teachers welcomed the new faculty member. "But…what do you want me to teach?" Maddock asked, "I just graduated today. There's no way I could possibly…" Twilight put her hoof up and he stopped talking. "Don't worry, Maddock," she said kindly, "I've got it all figured out…"


	4. Drawing up Plans

A few hours later, Maddock found himself seated next to Twilight in the castle library. She quickly pulled out a couple of scrolls and said, "I've come up with something perfect for you to teach. I know you'll be really good at it!" That being said, she opened the scrolls and let them roll across the desk in front of them.

Maddock looked at the title. "A Curriculum for…Prejudice?"

"Yes. Over the months you've been in Ponyville, you've successfully defeated your own hatred. Now I want you to teach other creatures to do the same. Sadly, we have a lot of creatures in our world who hate other creatures simply because they share differences. Now it's time for you to teach them how to be friends."

Maddock didn't know how to respond. On the one hoof, he was thrilled beyond measure that Twilight was entrusting him with such a huge responsibility so soon after graduating. But on the other, he couldn't help but question it. Was he ready? Could he teach friendship when he had been on the other side of the fence mere months before?

He looked at Twilight and saw a gleam of understanding adorn her purple gaze. Once again, he felt himself drowning in her vision. He knew he would do anything for her, even teach. "Twilight," he said, "if you think I'm ready, then I think I'm ready. I'll do it." Twilight smiled at him. "I know you can, Maddock," she said. "Now, it's time for you to come up with part of the curriculum yourself." Maddock gulped nervously, but took the quill he was offered and began to slowly form the core for how he was going to teach others to let go of their hatred as he had.

The next day, Twilight led Maddock down a hall in the School of Friendship. She stopped in front of a vacant classroom and led him inside. "I know it's not the most state-of-the-art thing, but I feel like it'll be a great spot for your students," she said. She turned and pulled out a stack of scrolls that they had brought with them. "I've reviewed the rest of the curriculum that you came up with, and I completely approve of it. I think it's wonderful that you want to teach your students about the history of other creatures. Maybe that will help them understand better. You have 15 students enrolled in your class already and, with Hearth's Warming Break coming up, you'll be able to fully prepare to begin class next semester."

Maddock nodded. He was excited to begin teaching, but he was also nervous about failing his students. What would happen if they couldn't learn to let go? Would Twilight fire him? Would she cast him away, never to speak to him again? "Twilight," he said timidly, "…what happens if my students can't grasp the concepts I'm trying to teach them?"

She smiled at him, and he felt his heart skip a beat. "It's OK, Maddock," she said softly, "I remember when I first began teaching. I also remember the first time one of my students failed an exam. It was heart wrenching. I thought I had failed them as a teacher. But then somepony talked some sense into me."

"Princess Celestia?"

She nodded. "Yep. It's always helpful to have my old mentor around for wisdom and guidance. I still haven't learned everything she has to teach me, even though some ponies might think otherwise," she finished with a chuckle. Maddock smiled and felt more comfortable. If his students failed his tests, then he would just have to teach them harder.

"Don't be concerned if your students fail," Twilight went on, "in all reality, it's probably not your fault. They just didn't study hard enough, or got careless and forgot to study. All you can do is teach. Then it's up to them to pick up the slack, use the knowledge they've gained, and pass the exam. Oh, while we're on the subject, be sure and tell students who might be falling behind in your class to come to you for extra help if they need it."

Once again, Maddock nodded. He was soaking in everything Twilight was telling him. After all, she was a veteran at this teaching business and he was a simple novice. He wanted so much to begin teaching and impress her. He wanted to show her that her tutorship, kindness, stubbornness in the face of wrongdoing, and compassion didn't fall upon deaf ears or stiff muscles. He wanted to become the best teacher he could be and, with Twilight's help, he felt that he was inching ever closer to achieving that goal…


	5. Maddock the Teacher

Before he knew it, Hearth's Warming came and went and it was time for school to start. On the first day, he slowly entered his classroom and unpacked his things. His legs were shaking as he waited for his students to arrive. One of the things Twilight stressed was that punctual students make the best students. So he had taken the initiative to mark off participation points for any student who was late or lollygagging around in the halls after the bell rang.

Soon, the appointed time of 8:00 AM came and his students began filtering into the room. He noticed a few ponies, but also two Griffons and a Changeling. He made a mental note to spend extra time with these three, as he knew that prejudices between Griffons and Changelings were ancient. To be frank, the two races completely despised each other. _Maybe I can make a positive difference here,_ he thought.

After the class took their seats, he began. "Good morning, class. My name is Professor Maddock." He picked up a nearby piece of chalk with his mouth and wrote his name on the board. He noticed that a certain thrill went through his body the moment he referred to himself as "professor." He immediately felt more comfortable in front of the class.

"Welcome to Anti-Prejudice 101, or How to Stop the Past from Getting to You," he continued, "this is a comprehensive course dedicated to eradicating prejudice within each and every one of you. I know how it feels to have a deep seated hatred for someone else because of something that their kind may have done to you in the past. But I also know how it feels to live a prejudice free life, and I can tell you from experience, that it is way better!"

He finished and smiled at the class. The ponies just stared back at him, waiting for his next discourse. He noticed, with some degree of annoyance, that the Griffons and Changeling were staring daggers at each other. At certain points, he felt sure that the tension between the two species would snap and they would begin attacking each other with excessive violence. _Oh, boy,_ he thought, _this is gonna be tougher than I thought._

He went to his desk and dug out a stack of papers. He then flipped through his roll book. "Um…who is…Princess?" A young unicorn mare in the back raised her hoof. "Princess, would you mind passing out these syllabi to the class, please?" Little did Princess know it, but this was Maddock's first method of testing for prejudice. He would watch her and see whom she deliberately avoided passing them out to.

Princess nervously got up and seemed to stutter step across the floor to the front. She took quite some time getting up there. But she finally did and she used her magic to pick up the stack of papers. She then went about the room distributing them. He noticed that she was happy to distribute them to her fellow unicorns and the Earth ponies, but she skipped the pegasi completely. After finishing, she returned to Maddock with the extras.

"Here, Professor Maddock," she said sweetly, "these were left over."

"Were they?"

"Well…yeah, they were," she said, "I mean…they're sitting right there."

He smiled at her. "Ah, but don't the Pegasus ponies in the room need one?"

She frowned. "Oh, they're so fast and strong and energetic. They can get their own!"

"I can see why you're in this class, Princess," he said calmly, "and I'm glad you are. However, I won't tolerate things like this. Please see me after class. Now, take your seat and I'll finish passing them out." She huffed a bit and returned to her seat.

Over the next hour and a half, Maddock took his time outlining how the class would work. To his surprise, the Griffons and Changeling stopped staring at each other and instead gave him their undivided attention. He was excited at this. _Maybe I can teach them something after all,_ he thought, _if Twilight could teach me to let go, then I firmly believe I can teach these three._

After the class was dismissed, Princess slowly approached Maddock's desk. She looked embarrassed at being called out in front of the entire class. "Professor Maddock," she said sheepishly, "you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I did, Princess," he said, "please, sit." So she sat on her haunches and listened. "I know how it feels to have a hatred for others," he said, "I used to have one before Princess Twilight talked some sense into me."

"Oh, that Head Mare Twilight," she grumbled, "she thinks she's so great!"

"Oh, did you and the Head Mare have a disagreement about something?"

"Did we?! She suspended me last semester and she's forcing me to take this stupid class all because I hate Pegasus ponies! Why I hate them is none of her concern, and frankly it's none of yours either!"

Maddock had to force himself not to yell at the rude unicorn. This was truly testing his new resolve. _No!_ he yelled at himself, _I've put that behind me! I'm not that pony anymore!_ "I'm sorry you feel that way," he said to her, "but you know Pegasus ponies don't deserve your hatred, right?"

He saw tears form in her eyes. "Yes, they do!" She suddenly shouted, "if it weren't for those darn Pegasi, my little brother would still be alive!" At this point, she broke down and began sobbing. He held her face up with a hoof. "Look, I don't know what happened and I'm not gonna ask you to tell me," he said, "but I've been in your shoes. I know what it's like to hold a grudge against an entire race because of something one of them did. But that's not the answer, and I hope that being in my class will help you see that. Now, I think we need to have a chat with Head Mare Twilight."

She sniffed a bit and reluctantly allowed him to lead her from the room and down the hall to Twilight's office. The door was open, so Maddock took her inside. She took note of their presence in the room and softly put down the book she was reading. She gave Maddock a professional nod, but then turned a stern gaze on Princess.

"Princess, why are you back in my office?"

"Professor Sparkle," the young pony began, "I don't really know. I don't think I did anything wrong!"

Maddock shook his head and told Twilight what had happened in class. "Well, then," Twilight said, "I'd say that Maddock's class is a perfect fit for you." The young unicorn gave Twilight an incredulous look. "You mean…you aren't gonna expel me?"

Twilight shook her head and smiled. "This is the School of Friendship. We take second and third chances very seriously around here, and it's time you learned to do the same. Maddock is absolutely right. You must learn to let go of these hard feelings and allow friendship into your heart. Now, since you're in Maddock's class, and he's our expert in anti-prejudice matters, I'm gonna leave your punishment up to him."

Maddock looked down at her. "I want you to write a letter of apology to the Pegasi in my class," he said. She gave him a rebellious look and Twilight stifled a smile. It was the same look that Maddock had given her when she had made him write his first apology letter. She couldn't laugh right out loud at it, but the memory was rather amusing.

"I think that's a fair punishment," she said. "Princess, you may return to your dorm room and begin writing. Maddock, I need to see you for a minute more." So Princess reluctantly drug herself from the room and went to her task. Maddock turned back to Twilight, who smiled. Once again, he felt as if he would melt in the depths of her gaze. "Maddock, today proved that you belong here as a teacher. You handled the situation perfectly. I'm very pleased."

Maddock smiled back. He always loved hearing those words come out of her mouth. But more than that, he realized that he did belong in the teaching field. Before class, he had been so nervous and unsure of himself. But now, he felt energized and ready to tackle this new challenge. He also knew that, with his new friends at his side, he would always be reminded of the second and third chances that had been given to him.

He looked up at the pretty purple princess that had stolen his heart and taught him friendship. _Someday soon,_ he told himself, _I'm gonna do something to thank her for all she's done for me._ So the wheels began turning in his mind for some kind of a present he could give to Twilight…


	6. Humiliation, Forgiveness, and Rarity

For the next few days, Maddock tried to think of a way to impress the young princess. He thought about simply buying her a bunch of books and giving them to her as one massive present, but he figured she would simply take that as a gesture of friendship. _It has to be something completely different from that,_ he thought.

He had never really been in love before. He didn't understand the ins and outs of trying to impress that one special somepony. Sure, he had noticed some mares in Canterlot, but they were either unicorns and his formerly prejudiced mind wouldn't have given them a fair chance or they were members of the snooty crowd and turned their collective noses up at him. Either way, he had self-imposed a kind of ban on love from very early in his life, so now to have that ban lifted by the friendship and kindness of one very special pony scared him a bit. He didn't know what to do.

 _How do you impress somepony who means everything to you?_ He thought to himself as he sat alone in his classroom. He had been grading some exams he had given his class, and he was impressed with the way they were turning out. He loved teaching the students, and he could tell that they were gradually warming up to him; and it was all thanks to Twilight.

 _Wait a minute…_ he thought with a start, _RARITY!_ He jumped up from his desk and raced from the room, passing some confused students along the way. He fairly flew down the halls until he stopped in front of Rarity's classroom. He knew that her class on generosity would be dispersing in a few moments and he wanted to be there when they did.

After a minute, the door flew open and students of all species left the classroom, chattering and giggling among themselves as they did. Once the room emptied, Maddock slowly made his way in and walked up to the fashionista. She was humming to herself as she went about cleaning up her room and generally making things ready for the next day's class. "Um, Rarity?" He asked timidly. He wasn't sure if she had truly forgiven him for the terrible way he had treated her when he first arrived in Ponyville.

She turned and regarded him with a small smile. "Hello, Maddock," she said nicely, "what brings you here?" 

He took a deep breath and silently prayed to whatever gods might or might not exist in Equestria that she would agree to help him think of something to do that would impress Twilight. "I need your help," he said frankly. "Oh?" She asked, "you've never really asked for my help before." She appeared hurt by this sad, yet truthful, statement.

Maddock looked down. He knew she hadn't fully forgiven him. "Well, I really need it now."

"But why haven't you asked for it before?"

"Well…er…I didn't because…I was embarrassed"

"Embarrassed?"

"Yeah, at the way that I treated you when I first came to Ponyville…and I see that you haven't fully forgiven me for it," he said. Now it was his turn to feel pain. He never realized how empty he felt without one of his friends fully trusting him. Then he realized with a shock that this was how Rarity felt every time he shunned her. She must have thought that he hadn't fully changed, and so she avoided him.

"Look," he said, "I'm sorry for the pain I've caused you in the past. But we can't live there, Rarity. We're friends now." 

"Are we?" She asked, eyeing him suspiciously. She had a magnetic sense of detecting when ponies were being dishonest, and he knew it. But this time, he was being as honest as Applejack was on a daily basis. "Yes, of course we are," he said, "and I'm sorry I've never asked for your help before. Like I said, I was humiliated that I had treated you with such disrespect when we first met."

"Maybe you deserved that humiliation," she said. His mouth fell open. _Well that wasn't very friendly,_ he said to himself. "What do you mean?" He asked out loud. She came around her desk and stood nose to nose with him. "I know how it feels to be embarrassed about something you don't deserve to be embarrassed about. I've had fashions stolen from me and shown as if they were the thief's designs. However, I also know how it feels to be embarrassed about something you deserve to be embarrassed about. Once, I tried to force my sister to act younger than she really was. I tried to fit her into a mold that she had no interest in being shoved into. I found myself in a flower costume in front of her friends. That was embarrassing, but I felt like I deserved it. But I also know that everypony deserves forgiveness."

"Then why haven't you forgiven me?"

She looked away. "I've…been too prideful to, and I've made a mistake by doing so. I was so proud of everything that I had done and all the friends that I had and all of the things I was doing and I was so stung by the fact that you had never once asked me for help, that I never saw the bigger picture. We are friends, Maddock, and it's time I began treating you like one. You're right. I've never fully forgiven you for the mean things you did to me."

"And I've never realized that all I was doing was deepening the wound by not asking you for help when it was a problem you could've helped me solve. Geesh, and they call me "The Friendly Mr. Maddock.'"

They both chuckled a bit. "Oh, darling," Rarity said, "it's time we both put aside our selfish pride and became better friends." With that, she put her hooves around him in a friendly embrace and whispered in his ear, "I forgive you." With those three words, yet another warmth ran its way throughout his body. He looked at her and said, "I'm sorry for all the times I could've been friendlier and I wasn't, and I'm sorry that I've never asked you for help before this."

She smiled, "oh, Maddock, I forgive you for that, too." The two ponies stayed in a friendly hug for a few more seconds before breaking apart, smiling. They knew they had never been closer, and they would fight to defend their newfound friendship. "So, darling, what can I help you with?" Rarity asked, eyes gleaming.

"Well," Maddock started, "see, er…I have a thing for…"

She rushed forward and knocked him over. Her small smile had turned absolutely gargantuan and her eyes sparkled. "You have a crush on somepony?!"

"Well, yes, I do"

"Oh, who is it?! Is it Pinkie? Applejack?" She gasped, "or…me?"

Maddock laughed. "No, Rarity, sorry. It's not any of those ponies." She deflated a bit and pouted. "Aw…I thought things were about to get good. OK, then, who is it?"

"Twilight," Maddock said bluntly. Rarity's mouth fell open. "You…you have a thing for Twilight?"

"It's more than just a thing, Rarity. I think I'm in love with her," he said, smiling with a faraway look in his eyes. What he didn't know was that Twilight wasn't interested in romance at all and could be fairly aggressive with stallions who tried to propose anything to her. Rarity did know this and she feared for Maddock's safety. All the same, though, she did love to help advance romance throughout Ponyville and this seemed like a prime opportunity to do just that.

So she put on a happy face and consented to help him…


	7. An Evening in the Garden

In Twilight's castle lay a certain garden. This garden was one of Twilight's most prized possessions and she worked very hard to maintain it. The centerpiece of this area was a gift from Twilight's sister-in-law, Princess Cadance. They were special crystal flowers that only bloomed when enough love was present around them. Normally, Twilight's castle was filled with enough platonic love and friendship to keep them in a cycle of never ending bloom. But Maddock's arrival a few months prior had caused them to stop. Not even his recent reformation had enough power to bring them back. That was how deep his hatred for the unicorns had been.

It was in this area that Maddock now found himself, watching and listening as Rarity rattled off romantic idea after romantic idea. He took notice of these interesting flowers that weren't beginning to bloom like the others, even though spring was only a couple of days away. He absentmindedly moved closer to them, putting a hoof on one. Rarity quickly leapt at him and knocked him down.

"Maddock!" She said sharply. The confused Earth pony got to his hooves and gave her a bewildered look. "What the hay did I do?" he asked incredulously. "These are Twilight's Crystal Flowers. They're some of the frailest and most fragile flowers in Equestria. You must never touch them! They could fall apart upon the slightest contact!"

"Alright, alright!" He said, "you don't have to nag me about it."

"Do you want my help or don't you?"

"Of course I do!" 

"Then you'll leave those flowers alone," she said as a stern look passed over her face. They both narrowed their eyes and stared at each other for a few seconds before Rarity popped right back into her romantic aspirations. "This garden is simply divine, don't you think?" She sighed dreamily.

Maddock looked around. The flowers were all different shades of the color spectrum. Pink, purple, blue, white, yellow. Any color that could be thought of was present. He had been so intrigued by the Crystal Flowers and their lack of color that he had failed to notice the vibrance and spectacular nature of the rest of the garden. Even though the other flowers weren't at full bloom yet, it seemed like the perfect place to host a small evening between a princess and a friendship pupil turned friendship teacher.

"Yeah, it is nice, isn't it?" he said, "but we can't just have the perfect setting. We also need…"

"Perfect food, the perfect atmosphere, perfect music, and the perfect wardrobe!" Rarity cut in. She turned and flashed a humongous smile at him. _What the hay have I gotten myself into?_ He asked himself. Rarity seemed to be enjoying this a little too much. Had she forgotten that the evening's events were meant to be for him and Twilight?

He didn't have time to ponder this anymore as Rarity rushed him out of the garden and led him down the hall to his room. "Now, I've taken an extensive look at what stallions who want to fall in love have been wearing this season and I believe I've come up with just the right suit for you! Trust me, Twilight will love it. It's at my shop. So I'm gonna go and get that and order the catering for the evening and set up the music. Don't worry, Maddock. Everything will be wonderful!" With that, she raced back down the hall and burst through the front doors of the castle.

Maddock felt as if he had just gone 15 rounds on the Dizz-a-Tron training mechanism that Rainbow Dash had told him about. The entire planning session was a blur. He still had no idea how he was going to tell Twilight his true feelings. He was also scared of how she would react. Would she react kindly? Would she react negatively? Could he dare to hope that she felt the same way about him?

 _I have to impress her tonight,_ he said, setting his jaw in determination. This could be the only chance he had to really spend quality time with the pretty mare and he didn't want to louse things up. He wanted to ignite a spark within both of them that transcended something so simple as friendship. Yet he also wanted to show her just how complex their friendship was. It went beyond simple mathematics. It was an irrefutable thing that shone with the power of the sun of Celestia. With these thoughts lacing his mind, he awaited Rarity's return.

A couple of hours passed before the pretty white fashionista returned with the suit she had crafted for him. She excitedly tossed the suit cover aside and practically begged him to try it on. He chuckled to himself. She was absolutely giddy at the opportunity to help in somepony's romantic interests. Her support was rather adorable.

He stepped into the suit and tried it on. She went around him with her measuring tape and some pins and adjusted a bit here and hemmed a bit there where it needed it. After finishing, she backed up and looked at Maddock. He smiled and blushed a bit. He had never been gawked at like this before, and it made him a little nervous. Would Twilight gawk? _Oh, Celestia, I hope not,_ he told himself.

Rarity smiled. "Brava!" she squealed, "yes! Yes! Yes! This might be one of the finest ensembles I've ever put together! You look simply magnificent, Maddock! You're sure to sweep Twilight right off her hooves!"

"I hope you're right, Rarity," Maddock said.

"Oh, darling, of course I'm right. You'll be simply spectacular. Twilight's eyes will simply dazzle when they gaze upon you tonight!" 

"Dazzle…" Maddock said before trailing off. A beautiful image filled his mind of his beloved princess all aglow, with her purple eyes shooting shivers down his spine as she professed her eternal and undying devotion to him. _That would be the ideal evening,_ he said. He felt his confidence rise. He knew he could do it. He could show Twilight that she was more than simply his friend.

"Now go, darling," Rarity said, "go knock on her door and invite her out to the garden." Maddock nodded and pumped out his chest a bit. He had never felt this confident before. He didn't know whether it was the suit or just the fact that, in a few short hours, he would know exactly what was in Twilight's heart. He just hoped it was the same thing that rested in his heart.

He maneuvered down the hall and stopped in front of Twilight's door. But once he got there, he felt his confidence completely fade. He felt as if the door were hundreds of feet tall and he was the small shrimp standing in front of it. He thought the world was going to collapse in front of him and he was powerless to stop it.

He began sweating heavily. He summoned all of his faculties to stop this rather unbecoming bodily function, but to no avail. His breathing quickened, to the point where he was hyperventilating. He looked back down the hall to see Rarity standing there, desperately gesturing for him to knock. So he took a leap of courage and knocked.

The door quickly opened, revealing Twilight. She smiled at him. "Hi, Maddock. What are you all dressed up for?" He looked at the floor, unable to meet her beautiful gaze. He worried that, if he did look her in the eye, he would completely drown there and begin stumbling over his words. "W…would you care to…join me for dinner in the castle garden?"

Twilight recoiled a bit. _Wait…he has a thing for me?_ She thought. She was not the marrying mare, she knew that. She was way too busy with schooling and things like that. Plus she didn't like to be controlled and, as misguided and imperceptive as her beliefs were (even though she was never one to let those types of things lead her), she felt that marriage would put her in a stallion's complete control.

But at the same time it appeared that Maddock had gone to a lot of trouble just for her, and she didn't want to disappoint him. So she acquiesced to the young stallion's request. "Sure, Maddock," she said, "sounds like fun." His ears pricked up and she could tell he was trying not to leap for joy and make a fool out of himself in front of her. "Just let me get ready," she said, "I feel very underdressed at the moment."

Maddock nodded and tried not to appear too eager. Things were going way better than he could have ever hoped for! _YES,_ he screamed internally, _I think I've got her!_ Out loud he said, "I'll just wait out here." She nodded, smiled, and ducked back into her chambers. Maddock felt as if his heart were running a marathon and winning. He felt like leaping onto the nearest cottage rooftop and howling his joy for all of Ponyville and Equestria to hear.

After a few minutes, the Princess returned bedecked in a stunning purple gown that had stars on the back. She wore the Crown of Friendship, a gift that she had received from Celestia on her Coronation Day. She smiled and Maddock swore that it made him float on thin air. He offered her a polite hoof, which she graciously accepted and they made their way to the garden.

When they got there, the place was absolutely radiant. _Wow, Rarity really outdid herself,_ he thought. At this point, he started to feel a little bit guilty for not helping more. He had been so worried about getting Twilight to agree to come here with him that he had hardly offered any of his services. What he didn't realize was that Rarity had done all this when she said she was "picking up his suit." Being the creator that she was, she didn't like it when other ponies tried to impose on her work. She wanted everything to be perfect, and she felt she was the only pony for the job.

"Wow," Twilight breathed, "this…is amazing!"

"Yeah," he said, just as surprised, "it really is. Um…so there's been some dinner delivered from that Iron Hoof restaurant that you enjoy. Care to join me?"

Twilight hadn't eaten yet and her stomach rumbled. As much as she hated to get caught up in romance, she couldn't help but feel a little twinge in her heart. The beauty of the setting touched her and the wonderful aromas wafting off the tables poked and prodded at her nose. She turned to Maddock, "I'd love to…"


	8. Maddock's Confession

After dinner, they took a stroll around the garden. Twilight pointed out the different kinds of flowers, and Maddock eagerly listened. Although, he wasn't as interested in the flowers as he was in hearing the angelic song pouring from the lips of his beloved princess. Her voice flowed like a gentle stream, and he thought he would be completely satisfied if he could stand there and listen to her speak for the rest of his life.

The moon shone down upon them, and Twilight's coat reflected it. He thought he had never seen a more beautiful sight. _This moment..._ he thought… _this is right._ So he stopped and turned to Twilight. She smiled at him. "Yes, Maddock? Something wrong?"

He took a deep breath and steadied his nerves. "No, Twilight, nothing's wrong. I just…I asked you out here because I have a confession to make." She raised a curious eyebrow, but gave no response. Her silence spoke volumes and Maddock went on. "Twilight, I…I…I love you," he finally stammered out.

She was a bit stunned at the revelation. For a few seconds she said nothing. She knew that Maddock had feelings for her, but she didn't realize that it was love. She also didn't know how Maddock could possibly attempt to love her, being that they had known each other for a relatively short period of time.

She tried to form words, but they wouldn't come to her. She didn't know whether to be angry with him for being so blunt, or to be impressed that he had built up the courage to share these feelings with her. She didn't want to hurt him, but she also knew her own heart and there was no room in it for him, romantically speaking. They were already good friends. Wasn't that enough?

"Um…see…er…" she stammered and then sighed, "look, Maddock, it's really nice of you to do all of this for me. You really have learned what true friendship is and you exude that. I'm honored and privileged to be able to call you my friend, and my fellow teacher. Unfortunately, I…I just don't feel the same way about you."

Maddock's heart sank. He felt as if the entire world had been placed upon his shoulders, and the burden was crushing him. With Twilight's words, his spirit took a beating that had been worse than any of the number of physical fights he had gotten into back in Canterlot. How? How could a voice so angelic speak words that cut him to the quick like that?

"I don't want to hurt you," the princess went on, "but I'm just not the romantic type of mare. I've never been interested in that kind of thing. Besides, I have an entire school to run, and a kingdom to help rule. I just don't have time for romance. I'm sorry."

She finished and looked at him. He looked as if he were about to cry. He tried to put on a brave face, but it appeared that his facial faculties were beyond his control. He stood there stiff as a statue, and she wondered whether her words had cut him too deeply. Maybe she could give him a chance. _No!_ She scolded herself, _be strong. Maddock is your friend, and he's just gonna have to accept your decision._

Meanwhile, Maddock tried to form some kind of a coherent response. But every time he tried moving his lips, he found the relatively simple task quite impossible. Her words had rendered him speechless. The last time he had been rendered to this state had been the day that Luna and Celestia had sent him to Ponyville, many months before. He remembered how he had stood outside their palace, stiff as a board, trying to command his hooves to move. His hooves had rebelliously stayed planted on the marble steps and it took all of his strength just to move one.

But this was much worse. With her words, Twilight had unknowingly distanced herself from Maddock all the more. He already felt semi-alienated from her, due to her princess rank and head mare status. He felt like she was on some kind of a higher plane of existence and he was squandering below her. But at the same time, she was his best friend and she was one of the only ponies to have taken the time to show him that level of care and compassion.

So he gave her a serious look and said, "Twilight, you're my best friend. I cannot imagine my life without you, or any of our other friends, in it. You taught me that it is so much better to live a life with friends than without them, and that life doesn't have to be a hateful experience. You showed me what it truly means to be a friend, and for that, I will be forever grateful. I know it must be…shocking to hear me confess my true feelings for you, but it's true, and they aren't going to change. I accept and respect your decision, but just know that you'll always hold a special place in my heart. Yes, hearing you say that you don't feel the same way about me hurts. It hurts a lot. There's nothing either of us can do about that. So once again, I accept that hurt. But I don't want our friendship to be affected by this."

She put a hoof up to his face and smiled. "Maddock, don't you worry. Nothing could ever affect our friendship." With that, she wrapped him in a warm embrace, which he gladly returned. When they broke apart, he gave her a bit of a sad look. "I'm sorry if I wasted your time with all this," he said.

"No," she quickly replied, "you didn't waste my time at all. As a matter of fact, I rather enjoyed myself this evening. You're a wonderful friend, Maddock. But I feel like where we stand is where we need to be."

He nodded sadly. "Like I said, I respect your decision. But I want you to know that I'm not gonna stop loving you, even if I have to do it from a distance." He finished and smiled at her, confident in the knowledge that, no matter what she or anypony else said, he would stay true to his word. He would continue to love her until the end of his days. Little did they know it, but his word would be put to the test in unimaginable ways in their future. As they parted ways and headed back to their rooms for the night, neither of them could have possibly thought that an evil presence lurked right outside their doorstep. A pony with an agenda and an ice cold heart…


End file.
